Mining machine



C. B. OFFICER Aug. 3 1926.

MINING MACHINE Original Filed April 50, 19

iza

UNITE CHARLES E. OFFICER, OF W'INNETKA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVANMACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF IVIASSACHI SETTS.

lVIINING MACHINE.

Application filed April 30, 1918, Serial No. 231,698.

This invention relates to mining machines, especially those of the typefed along the face in which the cut is made, and has more particularreference to the feeding mechanism of machines of thi type.

In such machines it customary to include, in the transmission mechanismfor actuating the feeding means, a yielding element or friction deviceadapted to yield in case the resistance to movement of the machinebecomes excessive, thereby preventing breakage of the parts. It is alsocustomary, when such a friction device is employed and particularly inmachines having provision for different feeding speeds, to provide meansfor loading the friction device, i. e., for increasing the resistance toyielding or slipping opposed thereby, inasmuch as a greater resistanceor friction may safely and advantageously be permitted when themechanism is adjusted to produce a relatively fast feed than whenadjusted for a slow feed. Such friction loading means have usually beenentirely under the control of the operator, both as to the amount of theadditional resistance and the condition under which it may beinterposed, thereby making it possible for the operator, either wilfullyor accidentally, to overload the friction to an unsafe extent or underi1n proper conditions.

The present invention has for its general object to provide feedingmechanism for machines of this character wherein danger of injury to themechanism, due to improper loading of the friction, is avoided. To thisend the invention conteiliplates the provision of means whereby thetotal. amount of effective resistance to yielding which the op erator isable to interpose in the mechanism is limited to a predeterminedmaximum, so that, e\ en when the friction has been loaded by theoperator to the full extent possible, the mechanism is still capable ofyielding under conditions of abnormal stress before danger of breakageis reached. This object of the invention may be accomplished in a numberof ways, but as herein shown means are provided for automaticallyloading the friction a predetermined amount when released by restrainingdevices under the control of the operator. The invention furthercontemplates the provision, in a mining ma- Renewed January 13, 1925.

chine having reversible feeding mechanism operable to produce relativelyfast and slow speeds and including a friction device or its erpiivalent,of improved coordinated means for controlling the feeding speed. for re-*orsing the direction of feed. and for loading the friction device, saidmeans being of such a character as to make it impossible to load thefriction when the mechanism is adjusted for slow speed or to change thedirection of feed. when the friction is loaded. The foregoing and otherobjects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may becarried into effect, will best be understood from the followingdescription of one form or embodiment thereof shown for purposes ofillustration in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'is a detail perspective view of the friction loading lever.

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view on line 4--l: of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the room and pillar type, saidmachine com-.

prising, in general, a cutter chain 10 carried by a cutter bar 11projecting from a body including a motor casing 12 and a gear ortransmission casing 13. The machine as a whole is fed along the face inwhich the cut is made by means of feeding mechanism comprising a feedchain 14 an chored at its ends by suitable jaclts or other securingdevices (not shown), said chain passing over guide sprockets or rollers15, 16, and 17, on the machine body and cooperating with a feed sprocket18, also on. the machine body and actuated through suitable transmissionmechanism, hereinafter referred to, from the motor v(not shown) in thecasing 12. The parts thus far re ferred to as to their generalorganization and function, are well known in the art and, except as tocertain features hereinafter referred to, require no furtherdescriptlon.

'A gear 19 is herein shown to be driven through suitable connections(not shown) from the motor in the casing 12, said gear having a hub 20journaled in a bearing 26 carried by a suitable framework 24 in thecasing 13. The hub 20 is splined to a shaft 21 journaled in suitablebearings 22 and 23, supported, respectively, by the framework 24: and bya cap piece 25 secured to said framework. Mounted on the shaft 21 forrotation therewith, is a pinion 27 which actuates suitable mechanism(not fully shown herein but well known in machines of this generalcharacter) for driving the cutter chain 10.

Loo:ely mounted on the shaft 21 is a clutch member 28 having an internalclutch face engaged by friction clutch members or shoes 29 connected bytoggle links 30 with a clutch controller 31 having a splined connectionwith the shaft 21, said parts constituting a well known form of frictiondevice. Movement of the controller 31 toward the member 28 causes thetoggle links 30 to force the shoes 29 OU CWL'CLly against the clutchface of the member 28, thereby frictionally connecting said member tothe shaft 21. The controlling member 31 is normally pressed toward theclutch member 28 by means of a spring 32 bearing at one end against aninterior shoulder on the member 31 and at its opposite end against a nut33 on the threaded end of the shaft 21, whereby the tension of saidspring may be adjusted. In the operation of the device, the member 28 iscaused normally to rotate with the shaft 21 but is permitted to yield orslip on said shaft should an unusual resistance be encountered. Theresistance opposed by said device against such yielding'or slipping isdetermined by the force with which the member 31 is pressed toward themember 28 by the spring 32 or by other means hereinafter referred to. v

The hub member 28 is formed with a pinion 3% which meshes with a gear 35rotatably mounted. on a carrier 36 having an annularportion movablymounted in a circular guide on the upper face of the cap piece 25concentric with the shaft 21. The gear 35 meshes with a gear 37, alsorotatably mounted in the carrier 36, said carrier being angularlymovable in its guide in the cap piece 25 to cause either of the gears 35or 37 to engage and rotate a gear 38, thereby causing said gear to berotated in one direction orthe other according to the adjustment of thecarrier 36.

For shifting the carrier 36 to cause the gear 38 to be driven directlyin. one direction by the gear 35, or in the opposite direction throughthe gears 35 and 37, said carrier isconnected by a link 39 with alongitudinally movable rod or rock shaft -10 mounted for lci'igitudinaland angular movement in suitable bearings in the casing 13 and providedat its rear end with an operating handle 11 whereby said rod or shaftmay be moved longitudinally to cause the shifting of the carrier 36 inits guide.

The gear 38 constitutes a member of a transmission mechanism forrotating the feed sprocket 18. Such transmission mechanism specificallyforms no portion of the present invention and, being well known in theart, is not shown nor described in detail herein, it being suflicient tosay that said mechanism preferably includes selective, multiple speedgearing for producing relatively fast and slow speeds of rotation of thesprocket 18, and, consequently, fast and slow feeding speeds, saidgearing being controlled by usual clutch mechanism indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1 and operable through a suitable manually operatedadjusting device or lever 42. As shown in Fig. 1, the lever 42 is in aposition to produce a relatively slow feeding speed but may be turnedthrough an angle of approximately 180 to the position indicated indotted lines, to produce a relatively fast feed.

Bota-tably mounted on the clutch controlling member 31, as by anantifriction bearing 43, is a ring or collar 4C4 having trunnions towhich. are pivoted arms 45 on a friction loading lever or rocker 16,said lever or rocker being rotatably mounted on the rock shaft 1-0 andhaving a third arm 47. Interposed between the arm a7 and a fixed portionof the frame 24, is a spring 48, said spring engaging a follower 49carried by an adjusting screw 50 in threaded engagement with the arm 47,whereby. the tension of said spring may be adjusted. The spring 18 actsthrough the lever 16 to press downwardly upon the ring 44, therebysupple menting the action of the spring 32 and causing the shoes 29 toengage the clutch surface of the member 28 with an increased pressure,the amount of additional pressure being determined by the adjustment ofsaid spring as. The lever 16 is normally held inoperative, against thetension of the spring i8, by means of lugs 51 on collars 52 secured tothe rockshaft 410, said lugs 51 engaging lugs 53 on the arms 15 of thelever 46. The rock shaft 10 is provided at its rear end with a handlever 5 preferably formed integral. with the handle 1-1.. By lifting upon the hand lever 54:, the shaft 10 may be turned. thereby carryingthelugs 51 out of engagement with the lugs 53 and permitting the spring 18to operate the lever 4C6 to load the friction device as above explained.It will be observed that lifting of the lever 54. does not directlyoperate to load the friction device to an: extent determined by theforce applied to said lever, but merely removes the restrainingvmeansfor the friction loading device, which thereafter becomes autoloomaticall; operative to load said device to a predetermined extent. V

For purposes of safety, it is desirable that loading of the friction beprevented when the mechanism is adjusted to produce slow feed, and tothis end an interlock is provided between the levers 42 and 54, saidinterlock comprising an extension on the lever 54 which overlies anextended portion 56 on the lever 42, whereby when said lever 42 sionmechanism for a slow feed, as shown in 1, said extension 56, by engagingthe extension 55, will prevent manipulation of the lever 54 to releasethe friction loading means. Attention is also directed to the fact thatthe extended portion 56 on the lever 4-9 is slotted between its ends asshown in Figs. 1 and 5 in such a manner as, by the engagement of theleft hand wall of the slot (Fig. 5) with the extension 55, to preventthe handle 42 from being swung from slow to fast feed position unlessthe member 54 is moved to release the friction, ire. pushed down in sucha manner as to cause its end 55 to clear the left hand wall of the slotin the member 56.

Similarly, it is desirable that means be provided for preventingshifting of the reversing gearing when the friction is loaded. and tothis end locking means are provided for preventing longitudinal movementof the rod or shaft 4-0 when said shaft is in an angular position topermit loading of the friction Said means comprises a fixed stop or lug57 projecting from the machine frame, said lug cooperating with theextension 55 on the lever hen said lever 54: is in a position to permitoperation of the friction loading means, the extension 55 thereon'enoneside or the other of the lug 57, thereby preventing longitudinalmovement of the shaft 40 to shift the reversing gearing. lVhen. however,the lever 54 is in a position to cause the lugs 51 to engage the lugs 53and hold the friction loading lever 46 inoperative, the shaft it) may bemoved longitudinally by the handle tl, the extension 55 at this timepassing over the lug 57.

lVhile l have in this application specificallv described one embodimentwhich my invention may assume in practice, itwill be understood thatthis form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that myinvention may be modified and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanism includinga friction device. of a lever connected'with said friction device, aspring acting through said lever to increase the friction of saiddevice,

is in the position to adjust the transmisa rock shaft on which saidlever is loosely mounted; and means on said rock shaft for holding saidlever inoperat 2. in a mining machine, the combination with feedingmechanism including a friction.

tion device, of a lever connected with said friction device, a springacting through said lever to increase the friction of said device, a.rock shaft on which said lever is loosely mounted, means on said rockshaft for holding said lever inoperative against the tension of saidspring, and a hand lever on said rock shaft for turning the same.

4. In a miningmachine, the combination with feeding mechanism includinga yielding element, of reversing means for said feeding mechanism, alongitudinally movable rod and connections foroperating said reversingmeans, means for increasing the resistance to yielding opposed by saidelement, and means for operating said last named means and for lockingsaid rod when said resistance increasing means is operative.

5.111 a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanism operableto pro-- duce relatively fast and slow feeding speeds and including ayielding element, of reversing means for said feeding mechanism, alongitudinally movable rod and connections for operating said reversingmeans, means automatically operative to increase the resistance toyielding opposed by said element, and cooperating mechanism forcontrolling the feedingspeed, for restraining said resistance increasingmeans, and for locking said rod when said resistance increasing means isoperative.

6. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanism operableto produce relatively fast and slow feeding speeds, and including ayielding element, of a longitudinally movable rod, reversing means forsaid feeding mechanism operated by longitudinal movement of said rod,means controlled by said rod for increasing the resistance to yieldingopposed by said element, means for controlling the feeding speed andfor. locking said rod against movement to increase the resistance ofsaid element when the mechanism is adjusted for slow speed, and meansfor locking said rod against lorp gi tudinal movement when said"resistance increasing means is operative.

7. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanism includinga yield ing element, a longitudinally movable rock shaft, reversingmeans for said feeding mechanism operated by longitudinal movement ofsaid rock shaft, means for increasing the resistance to yielding opposedby said ele ment, said last named means being controlled by angularmovement of said rock shaft, and means for locking said rock shaftagainst longitudinal movement when in an angular position to render saidresistance increasing means operative.

8. In a mining mac the combination with feeding mechanism including ayielding element, of a longitudinally movable rock shaft'reversing meansfor said feeding mechanism operated by longitudinal movement of said.rock shaft. means for increasing the resistance to yielding opposed byelement, said last named means being controlled by angular movement ofsaid rock shaft, a lever for turning said rock shaft, and a fixed stopengaged by said lever when in an angular position to render saidresistance increasing means operative to lock said shaft against,longitudinal movement; i

9. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mecl'ianismoperable t pro ducerelatively fastand slow feeding speeds and includinga yielding element, of a longitudinally movable rock shaft, reversingmeans for said feeding mechanism operated by longitudinal movement ofsaid rock shaft, means automatically operative to increase theresistance to yielding opposed by said element, means for restrainingsaid last named means, said restraining means being operated by angularmovement of said rock shaft, a lever for turning said rock shaft, alever and connections for controlling the feeding speeds,said last namedlever having means for locking said firstnamed lever when the mechanismis adjusted for slow speed, and a fixed'st'o'p engaged by said firstnamed lever when in an angular position torender said restraining meansinoperative to lock said shaft against longitudinal movement.

l In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanismincluding afriction device, of reversing'means for said feeding mechanisin, alongitudinally mo able rod and connections for operating said reversingmeans, means for loading said friction device, a member for controllingsaid loading means", and means cooperating with said controlling memberfor locking aid rod. i

11. Ina mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanism includinga friction device, of a longitudinally movable gaged by said last namedlever When in-a position to permit operation of said first named lever,said stop acting to lock said shaft against longitudinal movement.

In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanismincl'udingayielding element, of reversing means for said feedingmechanism, means for controlling the resistance-to yielding opposed bysaid element, and a common operating device for said reversing means andresistance controlling means.

l In a mining machine, the vcon'ibination with feeding mechanismincluding a yield ing element, of a longitndii'ially movable rocksliaft, reversing means for said feeding mechanism operatedbylongitudinal moveient of saidroclr shaft, and means for cre sing theresistance to yielding opposed by said element, said last named meansbeing controlled by angular movement of said rock shaft. 1a. In a miningmachine, the combination with feeding mechanism operable to producerelatiyely fa'st andsloiv feeding speeds and incl'u'diiig a yieldingelement, of reversing means for said feeding mechanism, means forcontrolling the resistance to'yielding opposed by said element, a commonoperating device for said reversing means and resistance controllingmeans, and a second operating device for controlling said first namedoperating device and the feeding speed. i

' 15. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanismincluding a yielding element, of reversing means for said feedingmechanism, means for increasing the resistance to yielding opposed bysaid element, and a conn'non controlling device for said reversing meansand resistance in creasing means, said device being locked againstmovement to operate said reversing means when in a position to causeincrease of said resistance.

16. In a mining machine, the combination with feeding mechanismincluding a friction device. of reversing means for said feedingmechanism, means for loading said friction device. and a commoncontrolling member for said reversing means and loading means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES B. OFFICER.

